This invention relates to a photographic printing tape puncher for recording, on a paper tape, exposure correction information for each of the image frames of an original picture film before printing process. More particularly, this invention relates to a photographic printing tape puncher capable of recording, on a paper tape, the image frame number along with the exposure correction information.
A type of automatic photographic printing apparatus is known which is used to form prints of framed images recorded on an original picture film such as a developed negative film by printing the framed images on photographic paper and thereafter developing the photographic paper. Before the printing processing is performed with this type of automatic photographic printing apparatus, an examining operation is performed by an examining device (including a puncher), The automatic photographic printing apparatus performs printing on the basis of the results of the examining operation. That is, in the automatic photographic printing apparatus, a puncher punches a paper tape or a recording medium so as to record information on the required amount of exposure correction. The exposure correction is determined with respect to the exposure in accordance with an average transmission density obtained by photometry in respect of the corresponding image recorded on the original picture film. The automatic photographic printing apparatus prints the image on photographic paper on the basis of the exposure correction information.
However, if part of the process of printing and developing image frames fails (e. g., exposure failure or color balance failure), it is necessary to perform reprinting. If, in such a case, image frames analogous to each other are successively formed on the original picture film, it is difficult to find the frame corresponding to an inferior image among the image frames formed on the original picture film when it is desired to reprint this image. In particular, in a process of dealing with a considerable length of original picture film formed by connecting a plurality of films by use of splice tapes, the efficiency of reprinting with respect to one order is very low. Moreover, when the customer reorders an additional print, it is troublesome to select the desired frame since the correspondence between the print and the image frame of the original picture film is indefinite.